Adjustable riding-cultivator frame.



W. M. WILLMORE. ADJUSTABLE moms CULTIVATOR FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1 3. I 914.

Patented Dec. 12,1916.

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lTEM srarne PATENT @FFlFE WILLIAM M. WILLMORE, 0F VINCENNES, INDIANA,ASSIGNOR TO HARTMAN IIIANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF VINOENNES, INDIANA, A

CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

ADJUSTABLE BIDING-GULTIVATOR FRAME.

Application filed July 13, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM M. WILL- MORE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Vincennes, in the county ofKnox and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful AdjustableRiding-Cultivator Frame, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to machines or structures that are designed to bedrawn by animals for drawing and guiding various implements or devices,especially in farming operations, the invention having reference moreparticularly to a riding cultivator frame having a guiding tongue orpole and provided with means whereby the principal portion of the framemay be adjusted or moved to different angles relatively to the tongue orpole, the frame being provided with means such as wheels for carrying iton the ground, the relative movability permitting the frame which guidesthe cultivating implements to swerve or deviate from the line of travelfollowed by the guiding tongue or pole.

An object of the invention is to provide a frame with improved andreliable adjustable means adapted to enable the operator to convenientlyand easily change or vary the line of movement while the animals drawingthe frame pursue a straight or regular course.

Another object is to provide an improved cultivator frame of suchconstruction as to be very strong and enable the driver to readily andreliably control the operations of the cultivating implements so as toavoid plants which may be in crooked rows while the draft animals followthe general direction of the rows.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved ridingcultivator frame which shall. be so constructed. that the driver shallbe enabled to prevent the machine and the cultivating implements guidedthereby from creeping or tending to slip downward while working onhill-sides, which frame shall be simple, reliable and durable in use.

lVith the above-mentioned and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in an improved frame adapted to control cultivator implementsand provided with carrying devices such as Wheels, the frame hav-Patented Dec. 12; rate.

Serial NO. 850,594.

ing a guiding tongue or pole whereby animals may draw and guide theframe and being adjustably connected to the tongue so that the frame maybe adjusted to change the direction of movement thereof from side toside for the purpose of readily and easily following crooked rows ofplants or avoiding irregularly planted hills, the invention consistingfurther in improved means whereby the cultivator frame may be latched indifferent positions relatively to its guiding tongue or pole so as toarrange the angularity of the carrying axle relatively to the line ofdraft for the purpose of causing the carrying wheels on hill-sides toroll upward and thus counteract the effect of creeping or slippingdownward.

The invention consists also further in the novel parts and in thecombinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularlydescribed and further defined in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of a cultivator frameconstructed substantially in accordance with the invention, two gangs ofdisk cultivators of wellknown construction being shown by broken linesin connection therewith; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional Viewon the line A A in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan of the frameadjusted to one posi tion, another position being indicated by brokenlines; Fig. l is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scaleapproximately on the line B B in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectionon an enlarged scale on the line A A; Fig. 6 is a perspective View ofone of the parts of the invention; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on anenlarged scale approximately on' the line C C in Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is aperspective view of a roller box comprising a part of the invention;Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the invention, andFig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the latching devices comprisedin the invention.

Similar reference characters in the different figures of the drawingsindicate corresponding elements or features of construction hereinreferred to in detail.

A suitable riding cultivator to which the invention is, advantageouslyapplied comprises carrying wheels 1 and 2 which support a suitable archo-r arched axle which may be variously constructed and preferablycomprises a main or-beapi portion 0 composed of L-section bar steel oriron having a flat top to form a track and preferably having anl-section bar-4 secured to the forward side thereof, the main portionhaving downwardly extending members or leg porr 19 respectively.

tions 5 and 6 provided with stub axles 7 and 8 respectively which aremounted in the respective carrying wheels. Two frame members 9 and 10are fixedly secured 'to the bar he th'at they practically are parts thebar and they extend forward and are secured fixedly to a pivot bar 11,the latter forming a portion of the main frame as does also the beamportion 3 of the axle. The pivot bar includes a plate 12 having'feet13-and 11 which are secured upon the bar 11 so as to 7 provide anopening in wl ich the guiding tongue or pole or the extension thereofpivoted. Preferably a brace bar 15 is secured to the frame members. 9and 10.

Twoframe bars 16' and 17 are provided which extend across the-mainportion of the axle and are suitably spread apart, the bars havinit'orward aortic-11s 18 and 19 that are set in each toward the other andextend through the opening-provided 1n the pivot bar, awooden tongue orpole 20 being fixedly secured between the barportions 18 and 19, so thatthe bars 16 and 17 practically form an extension or": the tongue andprovided with a cross-bar 21 that extends between the portions 18 and 19and has down-turned end portions 22 and which are fixedly secured totheinner sides the bar portions 18 and A strap 2% is fixedly secured to theunder side 01 the tongue 20 and extends rearward under the cross-bar 21,a

pivot being inserted through the plate portion 12, the crossbar 21, thestrap 24, and the pivot bar 11 so as to be in vertical arrangement andenable the tongue to swing relatively to the main frame. he forwardportion of the strap 24 is oflset downward and an equalizer ordoubletree 26 is arranged between it and the tongue 20, and connectedthereto by means of a pivot-bolt 27. It will be understood thatswingletrees may be variously connected to or suspended from theequalizer or doubletree 26 for directly pullments as may be required foruse in connection with the frame.

A roller box is providedwhich comprises two main barsv 28 and 29 towhich two end bars 36 and 31 are fixedly connected, the box being placedbetween the bars 16 and 17 7 ing the gangs of cnltivators or suchimpleabove the axle beam, and preferably the end portions 30 and 31 areprovided with guide lugs 32 and-33 that extend under the barsrespectively The end bars 30 and 31are proyided with bolt holes 24 and35 to receive bolts 36.and 37 whereby the. box is rigidly secured to thebars 16 and 17. The main bars of the box have axle bearing holes 38 Ashank plate &2 is provided which is placed against the rear side of thebar 29 of the roller box and secured thereto by means of a nut screwedonto the axle l0, the plate be *ing a projection 1% that extends underthe bar 29 for preventing rotation of the plate on the axle, an arm 15extending downward from the plate and having a finger d6 thereon whichextends under the axle or frame portion 3 so as to prevent theseparation of the tongue or its extension from the main frame,particularly in case it is desired to lift the carrying wheels from theground by means of the tongue extension.

In order to advantageously provide a suitable latch whercby toadjustably secure or lock the main frame to the tongue extension, aseparate bracket is provided which comprises a base plate -17 having anaperture 48 therein which receives the axle 1-0 whereby the plate issecured to the forward side of the bar 28 of the roller box, the axleconstituting a bolt, and the plate has projections 19 and 50 thereonwhich engage the top and bottom respectively of the box and preventturning of the plate which is provided with ears 51 and 52 in which apivot 53 is meant ed, the lower portion of the plate 47 having guidefingers 54 and 55 thereon which project forward. A gravity latch isprovided which comprises a latch arm 56 that is mounted on the pivot andnormally extends downward between and beyond the fingers 54c and 55, anoperating and controlling arm 57 being formed integrally with the arm 56and having a weight 59 on its end. the arms 56 and 57 being 011 obtuseangles so that normally the arm 57 leans for and oi? the vertical planeof the pivot and retains the arm 56 in normal position. A catch-bar orquad "ant is provided and comprises a base plate 60 having an aperture61 therein which receives a bolt 62 whereby the plate is socured to thebar -1- ef the frame or axle, a flat bar 63 extending forward from theplate, projections (34 and (35 extending rearward upon the bar 1 forpreventing the movement of the plate 60 about the axis of the bolt 62.The forward side of the bar 63 is curved concentrically to the pivot 25and it has a suitable number of notches or recesses 66, 67 and 68therein adapted to receive the arm 56 of the latch whereby to adjustablylock the tongue or its extension to the main frame or axle thereof.

The tongue extension is provided with seat bars 69 and 70 whichpreferably are formed separately and suitably secured to the bars 16 and17 and support a seat 71 for the driver and operator of the cultivator.The members 5 and 6 of the axle are pro vided with footrests 72 and 73respectively on which the driver may place his feet and whereby he isenabled to pivotally move the tongue relatively to the main frame whenthe latch bar is withdrawn from the quadrant or catch-bar.

It should be understood that the details .of construction of theinvention may be variously modified, for instance various forms ofroller bearings may be provided between. the tongue extension and themain frame or its axle and the cooperating latching locking devices maybe variously constructed and arranged as may be preferred, within thespirit and scope of the appended claims. Various types of cultivatorgangs, some having disk cultivators, others having the shovel type ofcultivator, being well known it is obvious that any one of the differenttypes desired may be connected to and controlled by the sulky orcarriage having the frame adjustable relatively to the guiding tongue.

In practical use the main frame is usually adjusted so that the axle isat right angles to the guiding tongue or pole and therefore the carryingwheels follow the line of travel of the animals that may be hitched tothe vehicle in well-known manner, and in case the driver finds itnecessary to prevent the cultivating implements from striking or workingtoo closely to some of the plants or hills he draws the arm 57 rearwardtoward him and thereby releases the arm 56 from the notch 66, and thelatch bar may thus remain as in Fig. 5, the arm 57 extending rearwardand resting against the upper end of the base plate 4-7 so that thedriver is permitted to shift the tongue pivotally by using his feet onthe foot-rests 72 and 73. When working on a hill-side the tendency ofthe carrying wheels and also the cultivator disks is to creep downwardon the slope, due to gravitation, and in such case the driver changesthe angle of the frame and the axle so as to direct the carrying wheelsupward on the hill-side to greater or less extent as may be required, soas to compensate for the slipping or creeping and thus keep the wheelsfrom creeping down onto the rows of plants.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In acultivator frame, the combination of an axle, a frame member secured tothe axle, two frame bars connected together and pivotally connected withthe frame member forward of the axle and extending over the axle, aconcave notched catch-bar having a base that is secured to the forwardside of the axle, a bracket arranged above the catchbar and connectedwith the two frame bars, and a latch bar pivoted to the bracket toengage the catch-bar and having an up wardly-extending weightedoverbalancingarm.

2. In an adjustable riding cultivator, the combination of an archedaxle, a track secured upon the crown of the arched axle, a frame securedto the axle, two frame bars pivoted to the frame forward of the axle andextending over and beyond the axle, a roller box arranged between andsecured to the frame bars, a roller mounted in the roller box andsupported upon the track, and a guide secured to the rearward side ofthe roller box and extending under the track.

3. In a cultivator frame, the combination of an axle, a frame secured tothe axle, two frame bars connected together and pivotally connected withthe frame forward of the axle, the bars extending over and beyond theaxle, a box arranged between and secured to the two frame bars, aconcave notched catch-bar secured to the forward side of the axle, abracket secured to the forward side of said box and having two guidesthereon that extend above the catchbar, and a latch bar pivoted to saidbracket and normally extending between said guides and into engagementwith said catch-bar.

4. In a cultivator frame, the combination of a main axle portion havinga flat top, a frame bar secured to the forward side of the axle portion,two frame members secured to said bar, a pivot bar secured to saidmembers, two frame bars extending across the fiat top of said axleportion and across said pivot bar, a cross-bar secured to said framebars and pivoted to said pivot bar, a concave notched catch-bar securedto said frame bar, a. roller box arranged between and secured to saidextension bars, a bracket secured to said box, a roller mounted in saidbox and supported upon the flat top of said axle portion, and a latchbar pivoted to said bracket to cooperate with said catch-bar.

5. In an adjustable cultivator frame, the combination with a flat mainaxle portion, a frame secured to the axle portion, and two frame barsconnected together and pivotally connected with the frame, the barsextending over the axle portion; of a roller box comprising two mainbars and two end bars connected together, the box being arranged betweenthe two frame bars with the end bars thereof in contact with and securedto the frame bars respectively, said end bars having each a lugextending under the adjacent frame bar; an axle secured to the main barsof the box, and a roller mounted on the axle between the main bars ofthe box and supported upon the flat main axle portion.

6. In an adjustable cultivator frame, the combination with a main axleportion, a frame secured to the axle portion, and two frame barsconnected together and pivotally connected with the frame, the barsextending over the axle portion and being movably mounted on the pivotand extending down-' ward between and beyond the guide fingers, acontrolling arm'fiXed on the latch arm and extending upwardly at aninclination to the vertical, and a weight fixed on the top of thecontrolling arm; and a quadrant fixedly mounted on the main axle portionand having notches to receive said latch arm.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM M. \VILLMORE.

Vitnesses:

MAUDE ELDER, A. M. WILLOUGHBY.

Copies of this'patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

